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Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is a promising tool for subcellular chemical analysis of biological cells. However, to obtain relevant information, the method used for sample preparation is critical. In this work, we have used TOF-SIMS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and interference reflection microscopy (IRM) to study the effects of different fixation and drying methods on the morphology and chemical structure of human fibroblast cells (hTERT) adhered to a silicon surface. Specifically, two fixation techniques (chemical fixation with glutaraldehyde and cryofixation by plunge freezing) and two drying techniques (freeze drying and alcohol substitution drying) were investigated. Cryofixation followed by freeze drying was determined to produce dried cells with preserved cell morphology, intact cell membranes, and retained sodium/potassium ion concentration gradients across the plasma …